OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 22: Dwight Howard #12 of the Los Angeles Lakers is fouled by Carl Landry #7 of the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena on December 22, 2012 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Photo: Ezra Shaw, Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 22: Dwight Howard #12 of the Los Angeles...

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OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 22: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes up for a shot against Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena on December 22, 2012 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Photo: Ezra Shaw, Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 22: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles...

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OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 22: Pau Gasol #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the ball during their game against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena on December 22, 2012 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Golden State Warriors' David Lee (10) vies for a rebound against Los Angeles Lakers' Jodie Meeks (20) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 22: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates with teammates Pau Gasol #16, Steve Nash #10, and Darius Morris #1 in the final seconds of overtime after they secured their victory over the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena on December 22, 2012 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

As their lead evaporated in the fourth quarter Saturday, the Warriors' players kept looking to the bench, almost begging for help.

But there was no timeout coming.

Warriors coach Mark Jackson likes to allow his players to work themselves through bad stretches, and his team had responded by closing out the first 15 games they led entering the fourth quarter this season. No. 16 was different.

The Warriors blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead and then looked on helplessly as Kobe Bryant turned overtime closer in the Lakers' 118-115 victory in front of Oracle Arena's third consecutive sellout.

"You look back and realize that one defensive rebound, one well-executed defensive trip, one less turnover and we are out of here before overtime," Jackson said. "We didn't continue to play at our pace in the fourth quarter, and we'll learn from it. They started making shots. It's a little difficult to run off of made shots."

Bryant gave the Lakers four-point leads three times in overtime, but Stephen Curry made a three-pointer to trim it to 116-115 with 33.8 seconds remaining. Steve Nash connected on a leaner in the lane to push the lead back to three points with 16.9 seconds left, and Curry's forced three-pointer missed with 4.8 seconds remaining.

The Lakers used a 12-0 fourth-quarter run to trim a 14-point deficit to 90-88 on a Bryant dunk with 6:58 remaining. Nash gave the Lakers a 103-102 lead on a three-pointer with 1:46 left, but Jarrett Jack stepped into the spotlight - a place he spent most of the night.

The Warriors' backup point guard found Festus Ezeli for an alley-oop dunk and a 104-103 lead and then spotted David Lee for an open jumper and a 106-105 lead with 44 seconds left. With 14.9 seconds left, Jack pulled up for a 19-footer that tied it 108-108.

"When you mess around and allow a team with that much firepower to hang around, this is what can happen," Jack said.

Nash returned to the lineup after missing 24 games because of a broken bone in his left leg. The two-time MVP had 12 points and nine assists and brought some fluidity to the Lakers' offense, but he also was a target for the Warriors.

Jack had a season-high 29 points and 11 assists, giving him 12 games with at least 10 points and five assists - which leads the league among reserves. Klay Thompson had 18 points, four rebounds and three assists.

The Warriors (18-10) had won 11 of their past 14 games, but the Lakers (13-14) have won four in a row after dropping five games below .500 for the first time since 2004-05. The Lakers lead the season series 2-0 and have not lost a series to the Warriors since 1994-95. That was the same year that the Warriors last had a better record when they played the Lakers this late in a season.

The Warriors did their best to continue Los Angeles' unharmonious season. They drew more fouls (six) on Dwight Howard than he made field goals (4-for-8 for 11 points), limited Pau Gasol to nine points on 4-of-11 shooting, and let Bryant shoot the Lakers out of and back into the game (34 points on 16-of-41).

Jack had two of his 15 second-quarter points, a rebound and two assists during the Warriors' 12-4, frame-closing run that gave them a 61-53 lead heading into the locker room. Jack made seven of his 10 shots during the quarter and had three assists to zero turnovers, calming what had been a shaky start for the Warriors.

The Lakers scored 15 points off the Warriors' 10 first-quarter turnovers to take a 31-27 lead. During one ugly stretch, the Warriors committed four gaffes - a bad pass, a backcourt violation, a traveling violation and an illegal screen - in a span of 2:03.